


Mod Werewovles

by neil4god



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: AU, AU Set after Hotel California (sorta), Angst, BAMF Lydia, Brit Invasion, Camaro is still there!, Derek has man-pain!, Derek in a Suit, Derek/Stiles friendship, F/M, Hurt Derek, Hurt Stiles, Jennifer not the Darach, Lots of Pop Culture Refs, M/M, No Suicide Attempts, Oblivious Derek, Pack Dynamics, Pack Mom Stiles, Pining Stiles, Sherlock Holmes (Cumberbatch), Spoilers for The Way We Were - You Are Warned!, Stiles POV, Summer fill in sorta, pre-Sterek - Freeform, rebuilding Hale house
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-13
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2017-12-26 10:17:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/964783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neil4god/pseuds/neil4god
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It took one small smile from Derek to change Stiles' life forever (again). He'd already re-arranged his life for werewolves and supernatural beings and everything really so finding out that he had something in common with Derek Hale, that shouldn't have had this big of an effect on his life. It just shouldn't have.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Stiles reflects back on the beginning of his friendship with Derek Hale as he tries to come to terms with his death and then his apparent relationship with Jennifer Blake and so forth and so forth.

It was the suit that started it, a navy pinstripe double breasted beauty, tailored to Derek’s muscles. It made him want to do filthy things to him, and then Stiles realized he was staring and probably wafting sexy times pheromones at Derek and Scott. Flailing slightly, he tried to make up for the lapse, “So Mod Werewolves are a thing. That’s cool.”  
Derek cocked his head to the side, trying to hide the beginnings of a smile when Scott asked, “Is that a different type of werewolf, like an omega?”  
Derek’s smile stretched sharp as he drily answered “Your stupidity astounds me Scott.”  
Stiles couldn’t let that pass indignantly responding “Hey, only I’m allowed to call Scott stupid!” Scott smiled at him sweet and grateful before growling loudly when Stiles continued “But he’s right that was really stupid.”  
Grabbing his jacket from the table Scott shoved his arms through the openings with enough aggression to tear it in two whining “You’re both assholes and I’m going home. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He didn't go after him. It was the first week of summer, there would be plenty of time to hang out with Scott and soothe his ego. Besides, he had other things to focus on like that suit becuase Derek Hale in jeans and a henley was delicious, Derek Hale in a fitted suit was fucking obscene. 

They were alone. It wasn’t really anything new. Stiles spent a surprising amount of time alone with Derek. He was starting to get used to it. He didn’t feel the same sense of terror and pants shitting fear he had when they first met. Now they were almost comfortable in each other’s presence. Stiles liked spending time with Derek. More than liked it if he was being completely honest with himself. Still delighted by Derek’s small smile earlier and what he hoped it meant he asked, “So Vince or Howard?”  
Derek flashed him that glorious grin that meant he would play along for now, drawling in a soft tone “Vince obviously.”  
Shit he got it! He hadn’t been imaging that little smile earlier. Derek actually understood the reference. Of course he chose the wrong one but that could be fixed. Excited Stiles started to babble out his argument “Seriously Derek, how can you even say that? Howard has elbow patches, elbow patches man!”  


Derek’s laughter cut through the quiet of the night sending a surge of warmth through Stiles. Leaning against the porch of the partially reconstructed Hale house Derek told him flatly “Elbow patches do not make anyone attractive.”  
He was wrong. So wrong. He’d make him re-watch all three season just so he could prove to Derek how wrong he was. Continuing argument and desperate to find out more about Derek’s tastes he shouted out “They do so! So you’re into like super tall blokes with weird taste in clothes and an obscene amount of hair products then?”  
Stiles lowered himself carefully onto the porch, not wanting it to collapse under him or ruin his fancy pants. 

He could feel Derek’s gaze on him, it was pleasant and familiar. He waited for Derek to answer him, to use that dry wit that he so rarely let anyone see. “What can I say? I have great taste in men.”  
Alright so that wasn’t really dry wit but it did give Stiles something to talk about. “I didn’t think you swung that way. I mean not that that’s any of my business or anything and not that that wouldn’t be ok. Because it is, ok I mean. I am so ok with that.”  
Sometimes he felt like a runaway train screaming for a wall to crash into. Anything to just make it all stop. Derek was his brick wall, he stood slightly closer to Stiles just enough to nudge his leg with his toe, begging “Please stop, I’m a born werewolf Stiles, we focus more on compatibility than gender.”  
Did that mean he was ok with dating men? Did he even like men or did it just mean he was willing to fuck anyone that would let him? That didn’t seem right though. He had known Derek for more than a year now and he had never seen him with anyone. Never heard him talking on the phone to a girlfriend or boyfriend or well anyone now that he thinks about it. Derek was almost always alone. Maybe he liked it that way or maybe he was lonely and didn’t know how to change that. Shrugging away the sadness that came with that last thought he nodded to Derek a generic “Right that makes sense I guess.” 

He heard Derek fiddle with the keys in his pocket so he dusted off his trousers and levered himself up while Derek told him “Come on I’ll drive you home.”  
Checking his pants again for stains (they were his best pair!) he asked “So is it just Boosh or are you a whole Brit Invasion kind of guy? Cause honestly if you knew who Benedict Cumberbatch was before _Star Trek _I think I might explode.” While Stiles struggled to open the door to the Camaro Derek sent him a vicious smile over the roof of the car. “But Stiles, _I’d be lost without my blogger _.” Christ that was unexpected! He never thought Derek would like Sherlock Holmes, or anything in all honestly. He sort of pictured him as a hermit. Even in New York Derek would order all of his food online so he wouldn’t have to encounter other people and he would spend all day in his apartment doing stomach crunches or some other form of manly exercises. It was the only explanation for his frankly ridiculous abs. Stiles couldn’t help leting out a long breathy “Damn!” Derek rapped his knuckles on the roof of the car and gestured for him to get in, “Come on it’s getting late.”____

Once Stiles was buckled in and safe, not that he felt safe, the way Derek drives he should have the same safety rigging NASCAR used, he let himself get comfortable again and sass Derek, “We can talk and drive Derek, or have you not figured that out yet?”  
“Smart ass!” He ignored it. Most of the time Derek wasn’t even insulting him anymore, there witty banter and name calling insults had lost that sharp bite it used to have, so he continued their conversation from earlier “Did you hear about the underground campaign in Britain? It was after The Fall, people just started going crazy, putting up graffiti everywhere saying-”  
Derek cut him off with a hand clapped over his mouth and a shouted “Stop!” Stiles tried to mutter out a question but Derek kept his hand where it was denying him speech. “I haven’t watched it yet. Things have been kind of hectic this year so I’m a season behind.”  
That was unacceptable and he needed to talk now. Opening his mouth Stiles shoved his tongue out licking a large wet stripe up Derek’s palm, tasting the salt of his skin and something else that was probably just Derek. 

It worked though, Derek moved his hand, wiping his palm on Stiles’ pants the prick, but he ignored it dealing with the more important issue at hand. “Dude you haven’t seen The Fall?!”  
Derek shot him a glance as he removed his hand from Stiles’ pants finally. Stifling down his body’s reaction to that warm strong hand on his thigh he listened to Derek snark “If you say it all capitalized like that then yes I have seen _The Fall _. Who’d miss out on Lee Pace in that outfit?”__  
This was happening. They had things in common, real things, things they could talk about together and wow he never really expected that. Jumping into the conversation, both to express his joy at Derek’s knowledge and to distract himself from the blood rushing to his dick he laughed “Don’t forget the hair. The hair was epic!”  
Derek ducked his head in a nod that was absolutely adorable and fuck he was half hard before Derek even agreed “The hair was pretty hot.”  
The blood was leaving his brain behind and taking his filter with it, that’s the only reason he can think of for bringing up such a dangerous topic. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk this much.”  
Shit shit shit! He had ruined it! Derek was back to being quiet again focusing on the road and not saying anything. Now that he knew Derek had a personality and opinions and pretty decent taste in TV shows the idea of Derek clamming up again and going back to being Brooder McBroodster was kind of terrifying. Derek’s fingers drummed out some beat he didn’t recognize on the steering wheel before he broke the silence. “We’ve never had anything to talk about before.”  
That was, that sounded almost like a regret or an overture of friendship possibly? They were pulling up to his driveway, his dad’s cruiser gone for the night and this was it. If he didn’t say anything then they would go back to normal, no talking except in emergencies, no trust, no friendship. It hurt thinking about that, he hated the idea of Derek being lonely or sad or just anything other than happy. He deserved to be happy, to have a friend. They both did so he kept his eyes on the dashboard and said in a quiet voice, “Come upstairs, I have the second season of _Sherlock, _we can start it tonight and have it finished by the weekend.”  
He waited with bated breath, or at least that’s what they say in those romance novels he sometimes reads (as a distraction from his real life of terror and monsters and social leprosy) waiting for Derek to decide to let him in or push him away again. He risked a quick glance at Derek, barely able to make out his features, just the outline of tall dark and handsome, and the red eyes of course. The red eyes didn’t frighten him anymore but this, waiting for Derek to make a move, that did, so much so that when Derek spoke it took him a few seconds to register the quiet “Ok.” __

Sitting on the back of the bus with Scott bleeding out beside him and Boyd freaking out in front, that was all Stiles could think about. Derek throwing his suit jacket over the computer chair. Derek unbuttoning those top three buttons in a nod to the crispy California weather. Him and Derek squashed together on his bed watching Sherlock at three in the morning. If he focused hard enough on that image then he could block out the one of Scott falling through his window to tell him Derek was dead. 

........................................................................................

It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Peter and Deaton, it was more that he had to see for himself. After all it wouldn’t be the first time Peter had tried to mess with Stile’s head, and if he knew Stiles was in love with Derek, then he’d take every opportunity to screw with him. Before he’d even really thought about it he was in his jeep and driving to Derek’s loft, desperate to see him, to know he really was alive. Grabbing the _Doctor Who _boxset out of the back he hugged it tightly to his chest and forced himself out of the car. Derek was alive and if he wasn’t then Stiles was going to rip Peter into pieces so small he’d look like a jigsaw puzzle. Cautiously, he pushed open the door and stared into the sitting room, instantly wishing he’d never come here.__

Derek was alive but so was Ms Blake and she was wrapped around him, her legs on either side of his waist, her hands hidden under his shirt. Derek didn’t try to push her off or get up, instead he turned both of them to face Stiles, his tone gentle when he asked, “What are you doing here Stiles?”  
“Um, I just wanted to check on you. You gave us quite a scare man. Scott was totally freaking out! So um, here’s the new _Doctor Who _, it’s great for recuperating with, cause you still look pale, well paler than usual, I mean you’re always like super pale, but now you’re so pale you look kind of albino but with like black hair and really thick stubble. So yeah, I’m glad you’re not dead, I guess.”  
He couldn’t seem to stop the rambling, words where pouring out of his mouth and he had no control over it. Every time he almost had it stopped Derek would move slightly and Ms Blake would sway with him, unwilling to lose her position on his lap. Finally Derek stopped him with a simple “Thanks?” __

Glancing between the two Ms Blake finally shuffled off of Derek’s lap and onto the space beside him on the couch. “That’s really sweet Stiles, although I think you can take the dvds with you, I don’t think Derek watches kids shows.”  
He was waiting for Derek to tell her that he loved _Doctor Who _, that he could name all eleven in order and was a Ten fanboy, but it never came. “Oh eh right Ms Blake. That make sense I guess. I’ll just let myself out then. Bye.”__

He wasn’t crying, he wasn’t, it was just that something was in his eyes and they wouldn’t stop watering. He wasn’t crying because he had no reason to, sure he’d cried when Scott told him Derek was dead, after Scott left obviously. But no he was not sitting in his jeep out at an abandoned gas station crying because Derek Hale had a girlfriend because that would be pathetic. Pulling himself together Stiles shifted the jeep into gear and pulled onto the highway, taking his aggression out on the road and pushing the jeep as fast as she could go. 

.....................................................................................................................................

Last class of the day, he’d been repeating it in his head on a loop for the last twenty minutes when Scott interrupted him, “Why does Ms Blake smell like Derek?”  
Forcing himself to be calm, to not stare at Ms Blake in front of the white board, to not see her on Derek’s lap like last night, he whispered quietly. “Probably because she’s sleeping with him, or did you somehow miss the giant hickey she’s failing to hide?”  
That may have come out more bitter than he was prepared for, but it was ok, he could be calm. Scott leaned into him, pressing his shoulder against Stiles’ in an offer of support, his voice soft as he said “Oh man, I’m sorry. Are you ok?”  
Fighting the feelings of betrayal and anger and gut wrenching jealousy Stiles forced his heartbeat to remain steady “I’m fine Scott honestly it’s no big deal.”  
Even though Stiles was pretty sure his heart hadn’t given away the lie Scott still didn’t believe him. “Want me to come over later? It’s Friday we could do a whole weekend of COD?”  
He considered it for a second before he remembered he already had plans. “Not tonight but thanks.”  
“You can’t just stay in and watch _Ace Ventura _Stiles.”  
 _Ace Ventura _was awesome and Stiles had made Scott watch it like a billion times when Allison first dumped him. It was hilarious and guaranteed to brighten anyone’s day, no matter how sucky it was. At least that was the theory.____

He’d gone through both films last night, technically early this morning since he hadn’t slept at all, but it hadn’t wiped yesterday from his brain. He might have to expand to all Jim Carrey all the time. There was nothing a Jim Carrey marathon couldn’t fix, but that was for later, not tonight. “I’m not. I’m going clubbing with the ladies tonight. Who knows I might get lucky.”  
Wrapping his arm around Stiles’ shoulders Scott pulled him into a hug, “Tomorrow then we’ll have some serious bro time.”  
“That sounds great thanks.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter and the late update, real life has been kind of kicking my ass this week (probably will next week too but I will do my best!)

**Later that night, in the men’s bathroom in Jungle ******

********

Danny was pretty used to his friends being weird. Ever since Scott joined the lacrosse team things had been kind of haywire. He expected his friends to leave in the middle of the conversation for no apparent reason, he expected them to stop speaking when he joined them, he expected them to talk about weird things he didn’t understand, after all even his boyfriend did that. But this he never expected. Stumbling over Stiles Stilinksi sobbing in a bathroom of Jungle at 3am on a Friday with his fist shoved in his mouth and his feet dangling over the toilet seat. They weren’t really friends. Sure Stiles was friends with Scott who was usually dating Allison who was friends with Lydia who he was friends with, but there was a long list between Danny and Stiles. But Danny was a good guy so he handed him tissue and asked “What are you doing here Stiles?”  
He immediately shot up, grabbing the tissue reflexively, brushing at his red eyes and tears. He tried to smile but it came out crooked and pained, with a shaky inhale he replied, “Oh hey Danny, Ethan or is it Aiden? I get you guys mixed up sorry.”  


He never took his eyes off Ethan, his gaze hard and intense and somehow challenging. Danny had no idea why. Nudging Ethan with his elbow, his boyfriend replied “It’s Ethan but that’s ok.”  
There was something about the way he said it. Something cold and calculating that Danny had never heard from him before. Ignoring it and the tear tracks down Stiles’ face Danny tried to give Stiles an out, laughing “You know this is a gay bar Stiles right?”  
The other boy took it like a shield and hid behind it, snarking “Duh dude I’m not stupid. I’m here with friends.”  
Ethan smiled nastily at him, cooing “Friends? How did you get Derek to come here?”  
Straightening up Stiles pulled himself together and made his way out of the cubicle, “I didn’t. I should probably get back to them. Enjoy your night guys.” Danny waited until he left the bathroom to ask Ethan “Why was he crying?”  
His boyfriend shrugged, but his gaze was inward like he was thinking about something. Maybe his boyfriend was in on everything as well. Maybe Danny was the only person in Beacon Hills who didn’t have a fucking clue what was going on. Ethan muttered “Maybe he’s having a bad week?”  
Danny dropped it, he wasn’t going to find out what was happening tonight and in all honesty he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Instead he took his boyfriends hand and led him into the cubicle. He wasn’t going to let his night be a complete waste.

**After class two months later**

“Stiles, could I speak to you for a moment, please.”  
He watched the other kids pass him by pushing down the hurt when Scott barely glanced at him. He was used to it, he shouldn’t still feel choked up when Scott ignored him. Putting on a smile he sauntered over to her desk, his backpack slung precariously over one shoulder. “Of course Ms Blake. What’s up?”  
Her smile was a little too bright with a brittle edge to it that Stiles hadn’t seen on her before. She brushed her fingers across her neck, running them across the poorly covered hickey as she told him “Derek asked me to invite you and Scott over tonight. We’re having a pack meeting and he wants you both to come.”  
He felt his smile slip, he was trying so hard to move on from Derek, why couldn’t he just let him be in peace? 

He forced the smile back in place telling her “I can’t make it tonight sorry.”  
She put one hand across his shoulder like she had the right to touch him. Uncomfortable, he stepped back trying to make it look natural. She let her hand drop as she spoke, “You’re pack Stiles you should be there.”  
His laugh was bitter and uncalled for, but seriously how could she think that? He told her in no uncertain terms “I’m not pack Ms Blake and I’m not going tonight.”  
That brittle smile was slipping, a frown marring her features. “I see, well at least ask Scott for me.”  
This laugh was hollow and made him ache. He just wanted to leave, he didn’t want to deal with Derek’s girlfriend asking stupid awkward questions so he told her “Derek will have to do that, we’re not speaking right now.”  
He tried to leave, slipping his bag onto both shoulders as she pursed her lips, remarking “Is this over that fight I interrupted?”  
He didn’t want to talk about it but he couldn’t just leave, she was his teacher and he wasn’t going to let his shitty social life affect his grades so he mumbled out a short “Maybe.” “That was over two months ago Stiles. You should apologize and go back to being friends.”  
Why did everyone assume Stiles was the one who needed to apologize? Scott wasn’t God, he made mistakes too, only no-one ever seemed to notice them. “No offence Ms Blake but you have no idea what we were fighting over or why I’m not the one that needs to apologize, Derek may let you be pack mom, but I’m not pack so you can keep the advice and platitudes to yourself.”  


It wasn’t so much storming off as leaving with his dignity intact and if that happened to look like storming off, well then who was he to argue? He walked as fast as he could to the jeep, locking himself inside before he the tears started. It made him feel stupid, how hurt he was just by Derek and Scott. He knew it was dumb and he shouldn’t let it get to him, but Scott had always been his friend. He tried to pull himself together, really he did, but there wasn’t very much left to pull together. Bits of him were floating around town following Derek and Scott like Casper the fucking Ghost and he didn’t have enough left to deal with this. Rationally he knew it wasn’t Derek’s fault. That one was all on him, which is why he stepped back from Derek and the pack. He needed time to get himself together, to chase after those bits that had attached themselves to Derek and get them back. Rationally he knew Derek cared about him a little. He knew that ignoring his calls and avoiding him had to hurt Derek and that hurt him too, but he wasn’t capable of being friends with him. Sometimes he wonders if they were ever friends at all or if it was all in Stiles’ mind. That makes the thing with Scott worse, because Scott knew exactly what Stiles was going through. This wasn’t some mythical thing with Lydia, this was real and breaking him apart and Scott knew that. He knew how fragile Stiles was and he still betrayed him. He let the tears come until they stopped on their own, until he was too wrung out to sniff let alone cry. He mopped his face up with a towel from his gym bag and forced himself to turn the key and start the engine. He was fragile but he wasn’t broken. Not yet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Derek’s loft later that night **  
****

Jennifer was late. She was supposed to be here at nine and it was already a quarter past. When she came through the doors of the loft Derek fought the urge to pounce, instead snapping out “Where’s Stiles?” She shrugged her shoulders apologetically and took her seat, telling him “He said he couldn’t make it.”  
This had gone on long enough. Ever since the fight Stiles had been avoiding the whole pack, more importantly Stiles had been avoiding him and that made his chest ache. It had been two months and every day without Stiles made his chest hurt more. There was this hollow empty feeling that seemed to be filling him up and he couldn’t figure out why but he knew how to fix it. Rounding on Scott he demanded “Scott you need to fix this. Whatever you did apologize and make it right.”   
Scott slumped down in his seat, his eyes firmly fixed on the slice of pizza in his hand, “This has nothing to do with me, I’m not the reason he’s not here Derek.”   
He had to fix this before his wolf decided to take matters into his own hands so he asked quietly “Then what is?” 

Scott shot him this incredulous look like he was somehow supposed to know why Stiles wasn’t here. “Seriously? What does it even matter, he’s not even pack!”  
It was angry and heart felt and so unbelievably stupid that Derek wanted to throttle him. How could he think that? How could anyone think that after everything Stiles had done for the pack? He belonged to them! He was about to launch into an angry tirade when Jennifer stopped him with a hand on his arm asking “Who is in the pack then?”   
It stopped him full force because how could she not know? “What?”   
She shifted uncomfortably, smoothing down her black dress and looking around the room at everyone sprawled out eating their pizza. “Stiles told me earlier that he wasn’t pack and I was really surprised, so who is in the pack?” 

It felt like he had been hit in the chest with a sledgehammer, he didn’t know if he could breathe around the pain so he almost missed Lydia perking up in her armchair, politely saying “I’ll take that one.”   
He didn’t have the energy for this. There was something seriously wrong with him, his heart was beating too fast and his chest was caving in. He managed to get out “Lydia, just don’t” before collapsing onto the chair heavily. He tried to steady his heart and was grateful for Peter’s hand on the back of his neck. It helped to even out his breathing. 

He let Lydia’s voice wash over him not paying it much attention. “But I want to Derek. So Ms Blake, it’s Derek, Peter, Cora, Isaac and Boyd.”  
She pointed out each member in turn then something glittered dark and angry in her eyes as she continued “Scott refuses to be pack and Stiles and I are just the fringe humans, we don’t actually matter, we just get to hang around the edges and pretend we’re ok with it. What I’m most interested in though, is your role in the pack. Are you the new pack mom or just another side-lined human?”   
Jennifer was leaning forward in her chair, her expression puzzled but Derek couldn’t make himself care enough to interfere, so he let Jennifer ask “What do you mean new?”  
Lydia smirked at her, vicious and cold, as she cut Jennifer into pieces “New, as in shiny and pretty and replacing the old. If you are the new mom you’ll have to work a little harder. Stiles was surprisingly good at it, he took care of Isaac, made sure his grades were good and he went to bed at a decent hour. He made Boyd actually socialize with people, he even tolerated Peter. Of course I think it was the entire summer he spent getting Derek to relax and behave like a real person that you’ll have the most difficulty competing with. He’s already reverting back to his broody beginnings. I’d recommend massages, that should relax him and he can always pretend it’s Stiles if he doesn’t have to look at you.”   
The pack were squirming uncomfortably in their seats. Isaac looked like was ready to curl up in a ball. Derek made himself growl out “Lydia that’s enough.” He didn’t need this right now, he was in too much pain to deal with this shit. Lydia ignored him though standing up and swinging her bag onto her shoulder. “You’re right I think it is. I’ll be at Stiles’ if anyone needs me.”   
He forced himself to his feet, he was the Alpha here and he wasn’t about to let a five foot girl pull this kind of crap (even if his wolf was howling in agreement!) “Apologize first.”  
She stopped halfway to the door, turning on her heel to ask “For what Derek? All I did was tell her the truth and besides I’m not in your pack, you can’t make me do anything.”   
She slammed out of the loft, the pack staring after her. Isaac let out a weak whimper and curled in on himself. 

Jennifer looked frozen, her face radiating shock and confusion, so Derek manned up and apologized on behalf of his pack. “I’m sorry about that Jennifer. She’s just upset about Stiles. I’ll speak to him later get him to come back to the pack.”  
Jennifer’s eyes were calculating as she stared at him but Peter interrupted before she could say anything shouting “You really are the most oblivious idiot I’ve ever met and I’m sitting beside Scott McCall Derek. Scott McCall!”   
Scott looked mildly offended but he was never going to prove to Peter he wasn’t stupid, not after the Allison password debacle and his fight with Stiles. His wolf whimpered at him that it wasn’t a fight, it was a disowning. Scott had publicly disowned Stiles because of a fight with Allison. Bringing his attention back to the matter at hand Derek growled out “I don’t want to hear it Peter.”  
Peter was on his feet, his finger pointed at Derek’s chest “Well you’re going to. Lydia is right Jennifer. I am very sorry but we already have an Alpha Mate and it is not you. Derek I swear to god if you don’t fix this and get that boy back I’ll join the Alpha pack just so I can turn him myself.”   
Derek had his hand wrapped around Peter’s throat in an instant growling “Don’t you dare touch him!”   
Peter smirked his voice hoarse and croaked as he replied “Why shouldn’t I? No-one else will. Well not unless you count that were-tiger he’s gotten himself involved with.”  
What? That couldn’t be true. He let go of Peter, his shock making his limbs loose as he asked “What!” Peter took two steps back running his fingers over the coffee table, drawing it out. “He’s very pretty, blonde and so handsy, it give me shivers just thinking about it.”   
That was unacceptable! Stiles was his no-one else was allowed touch him. The very thought of it made him nauseous, he was heading to the door as he spoke, his hurt coming through loud and clear. “He left the pack so he could toy with a tiger? Meeting over, I’ve got things to do.”   
He had to fix this, he had to get Stiles back. 

Jennifer’s hand on his arm stopped him at the door, her eyes big and hurt as she asked “Derek where are you going?” Why was she touching him? He didn’t belong to her! Stiles was, Stiles was, oh fuck Stiles wasn’t in his pack anymore. That hollow feeling was swallowing him up and he had to get rid of it. He had to, “I’ve got to talk to Stiles.”  
Jennifer didn’t seem to understand, she rubbed her thumb over his palm on the door handle wetting her lips invitingly as she whispered “Surely it could wait, we have plans remember?”   
How could she be thinking about sex now when Stiles could be off doing anything with some were-tiger he picked up in a club? He shrugged off her hand and explained “I’m sorry Jennifer but this is more important. Stiles needs to be in the pack.”  
That hurt look was back but he just didn’t care. She wasn’t moving away though, instead she pressed closer asking “But why? He’s obviously fine without it and like Lydia said he’s only on the fringes, you don’t really need him. Unless he really was the pack mom?”  
Her voice quivered a little, her fear of being replaced by a teenage boy obvious but that was ludicrous, Jennifer would never be replaced by Stiles because Stiles already had a place. That was too complicated to explain though so he settled for telling her “You don’t understand the kind of trouble he gets himself into. He needs to be pack Jennifer. It’s the only way I can keep him safe.”   
“Safe from what?”   
He didn’t care anymore. He was wasting precious time. He lifted her out of his way and opened the door, calling out “I’ll call you tomorrow” as he left. He was going to find Stiles and they were going to fix this.


	4. Chapter 4

It was 3am before Stiles got home smelling of Lydia and strangers. Derek waited impatiently for him to stumble into his bedroom before announcing his presence. “You stink.”  
The boy startled, glared at Derek on the bed then proceeded to strip off his shirt as he told him “Some douche spilled tequila all over my shirt. What are you doing here Derek?”  
The last was muffled through the fabric caught over Stiles’ head. Derek had to move from the bed to yank the too tight shirt off the kid. Stiles immediately snatched it back and continued to glare. Derek usually liked that glare, it gave him this gooey feeling in his stomach. This glare was different though, and Derek wanted to make it stop so he blurted out “Peter says you’ve been seeing a were-tiger.”  
Stiles stopped all twitching and flailing, like a rabbit in headlights and Derek’s wolf was conflicted. Stiles was never prey so he should never act like it. Stiles unfroze, throwing the shirt in the hamper and pulling on a clean one to sleep in. “His name’s Arthur and he’s nice. You don’t have to worry about him being a threat or whatever, his pard is only small and they’re not looking for trouble.”  
Derek felt like someone had rubbed his fur the wrong way, all bristly and unbalanced. He let out a low growl, mindful of the sheriff sleeping in the next room. “You can’t date a were-tiger Stiles.” 

Stiles made this face, all bug eyes and puckered mouth like Derek had said something really dumb. He took a moment to look Derek up and down and Derek felt his wolf preen under the attention. It never preened when Jennifer looked at him, not even when she was blatantly ogling him. His wolf felt slightly bereft when Stiles looked away asking “Why not? He’s cute and funny and he really likes me. He appreciates me and he gets my sense of humour. We have tons of things in common, we read the same comics, watch the same shows. Why shouldn’t I have someone in my life who wants me?”  
When he put it like that Derek felt like a dick, but Stiles belonged to him, to the pack. He wasn’t supposed to be going out with a fucking were-tiger! He didn’t know how to explain that so he settled for “You’re pack Stiles. I don’t know what happened between you and Scott but we miss you.”  
Stiles let out this laugh that was so bitter and hurt that Derek felt it like a physical blow. Stiles should never laugh like that. He should be filled with joy and light and that darkness that Derek has seen inside him time and time again should only exist when he’s in danger. It wasn’t supposed to seep into his everyday life, but it had. “That’s really nice actually, thank you for saying it, but we both know you don’t really need me there. You’ve got enough on your plate to deal with and the others will get over it.”  
He could feel the frustration building. Why was everyone so stupid today? Is everyone completely blind? “Of course we need you! Peter threatened to defect if you don’t come back.”  
He toned down his voice, pulling back the aggression and fury to tell him softly “There’s a pack movie night tomorrow for Isaac’s birthday, you should come.” 

Stiles’ long fingers plucked at a loose thread on his shirt as he replied “I don’t think that’s such a good idea Derek.”  
He cold smell the guilt and for some inexplicable reason, the hurt, rolling off Stiles. Softening his tone to just an intimate whisper Derek explained “Isaac really misses you, he doesn’t say it, but I can smell how upset he gets when you’re not there.”  
When Stiles laughed this time it wasn’t as bitter and Derek was relieved for that. “You can’t bring the puppy into this Derek.”  
He smiled at the boy, grateful that Stiles seemed to be mellowing somewhat “I’m the Alpha Stiles, I can bring in whatever I want. I wish you’d tell me what was wrong though, how can I fix it if I don’t know what the problem is?”  
Stiles plonked down onto the bed all flailing limbs and waving hands, his voice too loud for the hour “You can’t fix this Derek. It’s not just a me and Scott thing, this is just something I need to work out for myself. I thought, well I was wrong and I’m adjusting alright, but I need some time to figure things out.”  
That hurt stench was back and Derek knew part of it at least was coming from him, he couldn’t help but ask “Time and a boyfriend right?” There was just something so wrong with Stiles having a boyfriend, Derek couldn’t put his finger on why he knew it was wrong. Stiles looked up at him through his lashes and Christ that went straight to his dick. “He’s not my boyfriend Derek. He’s just a friend and a really good guy. I think you’d like him if you gave him a chance.”  
He scoffed internally while his wolf did a victory lap and he tried to keep his dick under control. In a moment of unadulterated stupidity Derek said “Bring him tomorrow then. You can introduce him to your pack.”  
Stiles looked skeptical, which Derek couldn’t fault because he regretted it the second he’d spoken, but if it got Stiles to come back to their den then he would go with it. Of course then Stiles had to reach into his stomach and rip his guts out with one short sentence. “They’re not my pack Derek they’re yours.”  
He fought not to double over, not to retch and heave and howl. Gritting his teeth he looked away from the boy who was tearing him apart telling him simply. “You’re wrong Stiles, they are yours and I’ll be expecting both of you at the loft tomorrow at six.”  
He caught Stiles staring at him again, his glance hesitant in a way it never was before. “I’ll ask him, maybe we can swing by.”  
Derek reached out and opened the window, turning back to say “I want us to go back to the way we were Stiles.”  
In reply Stiles sang “Can it be it was all so simple then? I think you forgot how that film ends Derek.”  
It took Derek a minute to match the movie to the song, before saying “That’s not what I meant.” 

Stiles stood up, staring at his feet instead of Derek, his toes wiggling in his socks. “I know. It’s just stuff like that that confuses me. Did you subconsciously pick the most romantic heart breaking film of all time about an incompatible relationship dominated by a wonderful friendship, to describe our relationship, or did I just project that?”  
His wolf went still, its head raised and ears tilted forward begging to hear more, but Derek didn’t know why. He was blindsided if he was honest. He didn’t know how to respond to that or even if he should, “That’s, I don’t. I should go.”  
He heard Stiles sigh heavily but by then he was on the ground and racing back to his den.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Peter was waiting for him, the financial news playing in the background, he barely let Derek in the door before he pounced, “Well?” Derek ignored him, too flummoxed by his previous conversation with Stiles to register anything right now. He made his way to the DVD stand and shucked off his coat as he combed through the titles, finally asking Peter “Do you have a copy of _The Way We Were _?”__  
Peter paused before placing his hand on Derek’s shoulder. “This can’t be good. Why do you need to know?”  
He let himself take comfort from him, grateful for his uncle’s support. “It’s just something Stiles said. I mean I remember bits of it, but not the ending.”  
He had a vague recollection of boats and riots and palm trees but that was about it. He had only seen it once and that was a very long time ago. Peter let go of his shoulder to pluck it from a different shelf. “You’ve always had a tendency to gloss over the unhappy endings of movies.”  
He put it into the laptop and let it load while Derek settled onto the couch. “That true I guess. You and Lydia said Stiles was the pack mom. You didn’t just mean because he cares about everyone did you?” 

Peter heaved this great put upon sigh like he was the only one with any sense and Derek was starting to think that was fair. This thing with Stiles wasn’t going to go away, if anything it was about to get worse and he didn’t know how to fix it. “No Derek. That boy’s completely in love with you. He stopped coming around once you started sleeping with his English teacher. Ordinarily I would be more than happy to cheer you on, Jennifer is after all a lovely woman, but the pack needs Stiles Derek. You need him. The last two months without him have been awful. I’d advise you to end things with Jennifer and restart things with Stiles, although if he’s comparing any part of your relationship to _The Way We Were _then there might not be any hope left.”__  
Was that it though? Was Stiles really in love with him? And if he was then why was he running around with another were? Why hadn’t he done something, said something? What if he had though and Derek was just so willfully blind that he hadn’t seen it? Did he want to be with Stiles? All these thoughts were racing around his brain and he didn’t have any answers so he hit play and asked his uncle “It can’t be that bad. They had a great relationship once they got past the antagonism right?”  
Peter nodded his head sadly and sat down beside him, angling the laptop so they could both see. “The only thing worse would be _Dr Zhivago _. Hubble cheats on her then leaves her after she has the baby. They meet years later and still love each other, even though they’re married to other people and are supposedly happy. They still love each other so deeply that they can’t share the same space without it all starting again. They are doomed Derek, to separate, mediocre lives.”  
That sounds horrible! Why is he about to watch something that ends that badly? Why would Stiles ever think they were like that? Instead of asking Peter though he just huffed and noted “That’s much worse than I expected.” __

Peter turned to face him, his legs leaning against Derek’s, his face solemn “If you let him do this, if you stay with Jennifer and let Stiles try to get over you then you will regret it for the rest of your life.”  
Derek felt his cheeks heating, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do. Should he dump Jennifer, but “I really like Jennifer though.”  
She was funny and caring and smart. She didn’t want to use him or hurt him. She seemed to really care about him and the pack. Peter seemed to agree because he nodded his assent “I agree she’s lovely. However, the second you found out Stiles was seeing someone else you left her in the loft and ignored all of her calls. She’s not who you want to be with, not really and that’s not fair to her or Stiles. He’d never let you keep her and it wouldn’t be right to try.”  
He remembered how he felt earlier when Jennifer tried to keep him from Stiles, how wrong her touch felt on his skin. He didn’t belong to her. Glumly he told Peter “I invited him and the tiger to Isaac’s birthday. If he comes then we’ll talk.”  
“You invited his boyfriend?”  
“He didn’t want to come and I didn’t know why until after.”  
“You really are too stupid.”  
Derek hung his head letting the despair run through him as he muttered “I’m starting to agree with you.”


	5. Chapter 5

This was a mistake. He shouldn’t have come, but Arthur had persuaded him it was a good idea. He was supposed to be rebuilding bridges or some crap. Whatever it was that was supposed to be happening wasn’t. Sure everyone was being nice but it was fake. All of it. He could see it in their smiles. Lydia was in a corner with Peter watching everything with this dark grin that was really starting to freak him out. Peter hadn’t stopped staring at him since he arrived and the only person genuinely happy to see him was Isaac. Which ok yeah, he had missed the pup a lot. It had been horrible not seeing him, but there was this lump in his stomach eating away at him and telling him to run. He shouldn’t be here, he wasn’t welcome. Of course that could all be put down to his over-active imagination, after all Derek had invited him. He just hadn’t cleared it with the pack first. 

Gripping tightly onto Arthur’s arm he dragged the blonde across the room and over to the buffet table. It was junk food mostly, cupcakes and chips with other sugary snacks thrown in, basically it was Mecca! Shoving a purple cupcake in his mouth so he didn’t say anything stupid he let his body sag a little into Arthur’s startling slightly when he heard a low growl coming out of the living room. It made Arthur chuckle darkly and whisper “Don’t be such a girl Stiles.” That rich deep voice poured into him filling him with a calm he knew wasn’t his own, but that was ok. He needed to remain calm, so he let himself drown in Arthur’s blue eyes. Werewolves could take away pain, but wereleopards could infuse emotions. 

Arthur could make him feel anything, not that he would of course. He believed it was wrong to mess with other peoples emotions and really wrong to mess with Stiles’ since he was actually aware of it. Stiles had a partial immunity, it wasn’t much just let him fight off the stronger emotions and let him know when someone was trying to mess with him. That’s what Arthur liked about him, at first anyway. He didn’t have to worry about losing control with him like he did with everyone else. A wereleopard’s emotions could spill over onto humans if they got too excited, but that couldn’t happen with Stiles. It had made him a favourite among the pard. Of course, a pard wasn’t as good as a pack, but that didn’t seem to be much of an option anymore. He should have just stayed at home, at least there no-one glared at him. It was unnerving the way everyone watched him, Scott’s eyes were screwed up in concentration watching Stiles’ every breath and Ms Blake seemed to be under the impression that her eyes were in fact laser beams and could be used to blow Stiles up!

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a key for the references. They're mostly basic but I hate it when I read a fic and I don't know the reference then I have to try to hunt it down so this is just easier for everyone:
> 
> Vince/Howard - The Mighty Boosh
> 
> The Fall/Benedict Cumberbatch/ "I'd be lost without my blogger" - Sherlock Holmes BBC
> 
> The Fall/Lee Pace - 2006 film - completely wonderful film for more info check out,  
> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460791/?ref_=sr_3
> 
> Ten Fanboy - Doctor Who David Tennant is 10 & Brilliant!
> 
> "Is that a nod to the crispy Seattle weather" -Clueless
> 
> Ace Venture Rocks!
> 
> "Don't be such a girl" - is totally lifted from BBC Merlin, Arthur says it a lot.


End file.
